A pair of recent first-round picks are out for the season.

Iowa Wild defenseman David Jiricek is out for the rest of the season with a lacerated spleen, the Minnesota Wild announced Friday. He sustained the injury last Saturday night in a home game against the Ontario Reign. In 27 games with Iowa, he had seven assists. Minnesota had acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade Nov. 30. 

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Columbus had selected Jiricek, 21, sixth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. After spending most of the 2022-23 season as an 18-year-old in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, he played 43 games for Columbus last season before playing a key role in Cleveland’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, he could not maintain a regular role with the Blue Jackets this season and ended up with Cleveland again before the trade. Following the deal, he also played six games with Minnesota, but again could not find consistent playing time and went to Iowa. He had spent most of the first three weeks of March on recall to Minnesota again before being assigned to Iowa one day before the injury. Minnesota stated that he is expected to be ready for the 2025-26 season.

Jiricek’s injury is the latest disappointment for Iowa. After a 4-0 loss at Springfield on Friday, the team is last in the Western Conference with a 22-34-5-1 record. Only the Bridgeport Islanders have fewer points this season than Iowa’s 50. Iowa is on track to miss the postseason for the eighth time in the 10 seasons that the Calder Cup Playoffs have been held since they entered the AHL in 2013-14. They have only won one playoff round in their existence, a 2019 victory against the Milwaukee Admirals.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the San Diego Gulls have announced that second-year forward Nathan Gaucher has undergone season-ending surgery for a left-shoulder labral tear. The 21-year-old is looking at a recovery period of four to six months, the outer edge of which would cut into his training camp next September with the Anaheim Ducks.

Anaheim made Gaucher the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and he has spent all of his first two pro seasons with San Diego. After playing in all 72 games last season, he had 8-11-19 in 56 appearances this campaign. He had not missed a game in each of his first two seasons before making his last appearance March 8 in a game against Ontario.

Gaucher will miss San Diego’s push for a playoff spot in the Pacific Division. After taking care of the visiting Tucson Roadrunners, 5-1, on Friday, they have moved to within five points of the divisional playoff line with nine games to go. They host the Calgary Wranglers on Saturday night.

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